Genoa Black Block report Fri 20/7
alien8 | 21.07.2001 12:25
During the past 2 days, the expression "Black Block" has been linked to mindless destruction, splits in the movement, and even "agents provocatuers". This is a report on one of the Black Block demos on Friday, July 20th
Several hundred people from the park-campsite, east of the media centre, had planned to meet up with a Black Block march coming from the Social Centre Pinelli and then move towards the red zone together. But as Pinelli was surrounded by police and the people in there couldn´t get out, the roughly 300 people from the camp decided to move downtown alone. A powerful, impressive Black Block procession started and met up with a radical unionists demo on Buenos Aires, fairly close to the red zone. Parts of the Black Block targeted several banks and an estate agency, which had their windows smashed. In a side street, other Black Block people attacked a police barricade sealing off the red zone with stones and molotov cocktails. Police responded shooting large numbers of tear gas canisters at the crowd and then coming after the dispersing demo. Battles with the police occured on Corso Torino, which ended with both groups - police and Black Block - retreating and re-grouping elsewhere.
The common march of the 300 or so Black Block people, however, conceals the important fact that there was an important difference between the various groups that took part in the demo - a different political objective which eventually helped to split the group. The majority of Black Block people supported property damage only when it happened against important symbols of capitalism (such as banks) or against transnational corporations with a history of human rights abuses etc. For example, they smashed a window of a Lufthansa office and then wrote "Stop deportation" next to the smashed window (Lufthansa is involved in deporting refugees back to countries where they are tortured and often killed). This part of the Black Block is strictly against damaging small shops or cars. However, there was also a minority of other Black Block people who started to attack cars, shops and other property, mostly based on frustration about the difficulties of getting near the red zone. The first Black Block group did not appreciate this, tried to stop some of the destruction and eventually moved away. Similarly, another Black Block demo later on the day split up when the majority of Black Block activists no longer wanted to demonstrate together with some people who damaged anything and not just specific targets.
When talking about "the Black Block", it is important to define WHICH Black Block we mean. The majority of Black Block demonstrators target specific property but do not enagage in random destruction. Certainly, the vast majority of Black Block demonstrators are NOT infiltrators!
The common march of the 300 or so Black Block people, however, conceals the important fact that there was an important difference between the various groups that took part in the demo - a different political objective which eventually helped to split the group. The majority of Black Block people supported property damage only when it happened against important symbols of capitalism (such as banks) or against transnational corporations with a history of human rights abuses etc. For example, they smashed a window of a Lufthansa office and then wrote "Stop deportation" next to the smashed window (Lufthansa is involved in deporting refugees back to countries where they are tortured and often killed). This part of the Black Block is strictly against damaging small shops or cars. However, there was also a minority of other Black Block people who started to attack cars, shops and other property, mostly based on frustration about the difficulties of getting near the red zone. The first Black Block group did not appreciate this, tried to stop some of the destruction and eventually moved away. Similarly, another Black Block demo later on the day split up when the majority of Black Block activists no longer wanted to demonstrate together with some people who damaged anything and not just specific targets.
When talking about "the Black Block", it is important to define WHICH Black Block we mean. The majority of Black Block demonstrators target specific property but do not enagage in random destruction. Certainly, the vast majority of Black Block demonstrators are NOT infiltrators!
alien8
Comments
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Factions, Fractions, and Fact
21.07.2001 13:42
"Are you the People's Jewdian Front or the Front of Jewdian People?" as Monty Python observed.
The issue at hand, however, is that the extreme factions become a visible target for the (varying) agendas of the opposition, and the media machines. The loose aliance of the whole becomes (delibereately) tainted by images of the tight extremist factions. In this way, Genoa in a day mirrors the ageless conflicts of the world at large.
Fact and fiction have always been odd bedfellows, each being the flip side of the other. Is it, therefore, any surprise that the facts, such as they are, become twisted into fiction and myth for each side's benefit? And let us not forget that The Global Protest Movement itself thrives on mythos and fiction (which comprise its justification) every bit as much as The Guardian's of Global Capitalism.
And when we have all understood this, the propoganda wars may stop, and the real issues debated. Until then, violence (of all sorts for all sides) will remain the norm.
Asar
e-mail: xeruiasar@hotmail.com
This is true so:
21.07.2001 17:17
We must differentiate according to what really happened and say "SOME of the Black Bloc".
Yesterday I came across some of the black bloc who had split from the others, as described by Alien8s article - they were fucked off at the situation and had left to find another group who they could work with in a collaborative and political way as part of the protest.
imc volunteer in genoa
Change the fashion statement!
23.07.2001 09:37
Then we will all know who the fuckwits are and those who are bringing the downfall of capitalism!
me
what is the strategy?
23.07.2001 12:53
Issues of globalisation were barely discussed or reported in any of the mainstream news media. The alternative news media was full of 'fascist police' type articles. This was the real news outcome, in spite of thousands of people attending to bring issues of globalisation onto the agenda.
Maybe the violence was caused by young men (like it is everywhere), and was more connected to fucked up romantic aggressive young male sexuality than any politics of globalisation. Maybe the real issue in Genova was testosterone.
andy
Fun and Games
23.07.2001 17:19
spike
e-mail: grandinquisitor@gmx.net
young men and testosterone
23.07.2001 18:24
webel
unity
24.07.2001 05:41
Mageborn
Cold blooded killing
24.07.2001 14:45
So a policeman in daylight shoots some guy twice from pointbank range, surely the least is manslaughter?
I've forgotten the name of the half wit who said the guy deserved it, but really I think not."Appropriate" I think is the justifying word with regards to violence, and twice in the head aint justified, as it is certainly not appropriate.
Paul B
e-mail: Hipipol
Serious analysis of the Black Bloc missing.
24.07.2001 15:48
I agree the publishers have some interest in smear and discredit tactics, but George Monbiot is pretty spot on in thsi case, and make a very valid point about the potential split between black bloc, womble, farmer and labourer causes. Use your head to make the point!
"The great Islamic activist Hamza Yusuf Hanson distinguishes
between two forms of political action. He defines the Arabic word
hamas as enthusiastic, but intelligent, anger. Hamoq means
uncontrolled, stupid anger.
The Malays could not pronounce the Arabic H, and the British
acquired the second word from them. On Friday and Saturday, while
the white overalls movement practised hamas, seeking to rip down
the fences around Genoa's red zone but refusing to return the blows
of the police, the black block ran amok. "
I do sympathise with the balck block and their choice of int. cap. targets, but they needed a bit of a discipline lesson (from the W.O.M, not the police/military) so as to keep their movement true to their aims and deny mass media the chance to move and discredit.
Skeptic1210mk2
e-mail: Howard.blanchard@orange.co.uk
Black Block in Genoa
24.07.2001 22:13
I felt that these comrades operated to jepordise the ability of the left to organise - we had no idea where they would attack or when or why - and a lot of time was spent strategically legging it both from the police and the black block both of whom were operating in groups throughout the whole town and attacking anything in sight.
I personally witnessed ' black block ' members with the police and I am sure that small groups of police were operating as Black Block. The tactics and politics of the Black Block create a Trogan horse thru which the police can easily operate. I did meet and talk to non Black Block members who had worked with Black Block for a while over the weekend and can sypathise with their idealism and frustration but from the impact they had at Genoa they were counter revolutionary!!
I would like Black Block to declare what their intentions really were and why they couldnt abide with the GSF requests for non destruction of Geonese property.
jen
e-mail: jennefer@ntl.world.com
black bloc and the police
25.07.2001 07:18
xiaozhou
e-mail: chowch666@hotmail.com
smash capitalism
25.07.2001 08:43
ReSiSt
many of the black block were women
25.07.2001 13:05
phil
why the hell didn't the black block attack!
25.07.2001 13:28
AND another thing;;;; the black block were fantastic at making brilliant baracades of buring bins and cars (fire disopates the gas- does this mean it's still vandalism?) but when the police advanced they wouldn't hold their strong postion but allow themselves to be routed.
phil
smash capitalism ....by any means
25.07.2001 17:02
The main demo, was gassed and gassed and gassed, drop the debt withdrew from the march. I agree with prvious comments the police/ state is not scared of a few idiots smashing shops the G8 leaders were frightened as hell of 200,000 people in unity. The movement will control the state.
jen
e-mail: jennefer@ntl.world.com
genoa
26.07.2001 00:24
jo
e-mail: skylarks@clara.co.uk
Black block 4 dummies
27.07.2001 13:15
http://www.infoshop.org/blackbloc.html
BBlocker
e-mail: nope
Homepage: www.squat.net
Who writes this stuff?
01.08.2001 13:19
Do "andy" and "spike" actually believe the stuff they've written? To say that Carlo Giuliani got what he wanted ia a sick insult. Presumably if any one of us had got shot attempting to defend ourselves, or shock, horror!, daring to demonstrate our anger at the brutality of the police, then we too would have got what we "wanted".
Why do some people bother mailing Indymedia when they'd get a warmer welcome at the Daily Mail?
Barbie
WHY DON,T U LOOK THE RESAULT
21.08.2001 13:34
And dont Forget that Guliani was a part of this guys and now all call them as their Martyr.Please,we are so different teams,lets not start to accuse eachother,some people had different practical methods that in that point its the symbolic violence and the clash with the authorities.The didnt ask us to follow and they had the courage to fight.And they are the ones who give the message that we are peacefull but untill one point,and we are not going to be slaughtered like the christians.
If u dont agree with them,at least dont accuse them.
Terry
e-mail: Terryw534@yahoo.com
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